Continuous coal or oil shale mining pulverizing and simultaneous burning apparatus



July-23, 1957 w. HENDERSON 2,300,316

CONTINUOUS COAL OR OIL-SHALE MINING PULVERIZING AND SIMULTANEOUS BURNING APPARATUS Filed 001;. 21, 1955 Amm \\'\\'\\\Y\\ INVENTOR. WILL/5 HENDER S ON ATTD R N E YS United States Patent 2,800,316 CONTINI Ions coat; oR- iIL-SHALEZMIEN o runvnnrznvo AND'SIMULTANEOUSBURN- ING APPARATUS WillisH'euderson, Iios Angeles, Calif. Application October 21, 1955, Serial No. $4 1,912- Claims. oi. 262-46) This invention relates to a conti nuous coal mining, pulver'i'zing and simultaneous burning machine or apparatus.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic machine whichwill simultaneously mine, pulverize, and burn coal or oil shale, and the like and will permit the economic recovery oflow grades'of uranium, germanium, and other products, the like of which maybe contained in the various ash, tars, gases'ofthe coals or oil-shales.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mining machine which includes a mechanism for causing the device to move to the desired location, and whereby the machine can be used underground to facilitate the recovery of precious minerals or materials as desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mining and burning machine which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the mining and burning machine of the present invention, and showing part of the mine broken away and in section.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the machine of the present invention, with parts broken away andin section.

Figure 3 is a view taken at right angles to the view shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing part of the gear which meshes with the teeth on the rail.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral designates a hollow housing which may include a flexible rear portion 9, and the numeral 11 designates a pair of spaced parallel skids 11. Extending between the skids 11 and secured thereto, is a beam 12 which supports a motor 14, and the motor 14 may be connected to a suitable source of electrical energy. A burner or igniter 13 is provided whereby the material may be simultaneously burned if desired. Shafts 15 extend from the motor 14 and are driven by the motor, and wheels 16 are mounted on the shafts 15, whereby when the motor 14 is actuated, the wheels 16 will be rotated so that the device can be moved forward or reverse.

There is further provided a second reversible motor 17 which drives a shaft 18 that has a pinion gear 19 thereon, and the gear 19 has its teeth arranged in meshing engagement with teeth 20 that are arranged on the upper surface of a rail 21. A second rail 22 is arranged in spaced parallel relation with respect to the rail 21, and the rail 22 may be secured to the skids 11.

Mounted in the burner housing 10 is a hollow casing 23 which has a motor 24 positioned therein. The motor 24 drives a yoke 25 which includes a plurality of arms and each has connected thereto cutting wheels 26. Fan blades 27 are also driven by the motor 24, and the fan blades 27 furnish an air stream for burning the powdered coal in the housing 10, (burner chamber 34), and fan Patented July 23, 1957 2 blades 27 also serve to circulate cooling air through the casing 23 so as to helpcool the motor 24'.-

A gas or electric igniter 13 is shown in Flgure 2; Brackets 28 may be secured to the housing 10, and the brackets 28 may slidably engage the rails 21 and 22. The numeral 29 may designate a mine being worked by themachine of the present invention.

From the foregoing, it-is apparent that there has been provided a mining and burning machine and in use, the various motors such as the motors 14, 17 and Mean be driven by any suitable source of energy such as a suitable source of electrical energy. With the motor 14 actuated, the wheels 16 will rotateto thereby cause movement of the mining and burning machine in one direction, since the wheels 16 engage the floor of the mine. With the motor 17 actuated, the gear 19 will rotate to thereby cause movement of the housing 10 along the rails 21 and 22 so that a further adjustment of the apparatus is permitted or provided. The motor 24 is used to drive the cutting wheels 26 and also to drive the fan blades 27 Thus, the wheels 26 or cutting members 26 will dig into the surface of the coal or shale whereby this material will pass back through the housing 10 in the form of fine powder and ignited and burned, this material being discharged out through housing end 30 to any suitable mechanism.

An air stream can be blown back through the housing 10 (burner tube 34) and also another air stream can be blown on the motor 24- by means of the fan blades 27 so as to cool the motor. These air streams can then pass out through the openings 30 and 31. Suitable control means may be provided for controlling the actuation of the various motors. The skids 11 permit the device to be readily moved from place to place and the pair of motors 17 and 14 permit the device to be moved in two directions so that it can be properly located.

As the motor 24 rotates, the cutting members 26 and fan 27 will rotate so that the powdered coal or shale, mixed with the air stream from the fan 27 will pass back into the burner housing 10 to be ignited, then out the end 3%. diesel motors, gas, gasoline or steam can be used to drive the various motors. If a gas motor or turbine is used, it may be directly operated with the gases or pulverized fuel produced by the operation. The various motors may be reversible. The cutting members 26 are held against the face of the coal by motor 24, and can be made to travel back and forth across the face of the coal by motor 17. With the present invention, low grades of uranium, germanium and the like can be recovered whenever such materials are contained in various shales and coals. Such recovery can be made from the flue dust and fly ash and the like. Also, the burner can bs used to produce nitrates simultaneously by use of a peddle bed or to produce producers gas by steam injection, and also fly ash for cements, and other chemicals and by-products can be produced. The present invention may be used for simultaneously mining, pulverizing, and burning the solid fuels to produce many intermediate and final products continuously and automatically. The cutting mechanism moves back and forth and sideways during the mining of the coal or shale.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided an automatic machine which will not only mine solid fuels very economically but also pulverize the fuel, burn it and produce minerals all in one operation, simultaneously and under ground. Thus, there is provided a method of gasifying coal under ground at a low enough cost to compete with natural or synthetic gases. The method is continuous and entirely automatic so that labor, upkeep, in-

terest on capital investments, as well as taxes are at a minimum.

Instead of operating the motors by electricity,

I claim:

1. In a continuous coal or oil shale mining, pulverizing and simultaneous burning machine, a pair of spaced parallel skids, beam extending between said skids and secured thereto, a first motor mounted on said beam and adapted to be connected to a source of electrical energy, a shaft means extending from said first motor and driven by said motor, gear members mounted on said shaft means, a pair of spaced parallel rails extending transversely across the tops of said skids and secured thereto,

one of said rails being provided with a plurality of teeth thereon, a housing having brackets slidably engaging said rails, a second motor depending from said housing, a gear member driven by said second motor and meshing with the teeth on said rail, a casing positioned in said housing, a third motor positioned in said casing, a rotary yoke driven by said third motor, and a plurality of cutting members mounted on said yoke.

2. In a continuous coal or oil-shale mining, pulverizing, and simultaneous burning machine, a pair of spaced parallel skids, a beam extending between said skids and secured thereto, a first motor mounted on said beam and adapted to be connected to a source of electrical energy, a shaft means extending from said first motor and driven by said motor, gear members mounted on said shaft means,

a pair of spaced parallel rails extending transversely across the tops of said skids and secured thereto, one of said rails being provided with a plurality of teeth thereon, a housing having brackets slidably engaging said rails, a second motor depending from said housing, a gear member driven by said second motor and meshing with the teeth on said rail, a casing positioned in said housing, a third motor positioned in said casing, a rotary yoke driven by said third motor, a plurality of cutting members mounted on said yoke, and fan blades driven by said third motor for circulating air through said casing to cool said third motor.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said fan blades serve to supply air for burning the powdered coal and ejecting the exhaust, ash and the like.

4. The structure as defined in claim 2 and further including an igniter for igniting the mixed air and powdered coal continuously.

5. In a continuous coal or oil shale mining, pulverizing and simultaneous burning machine, skids, a beam extending between said skids and secured thereto, a first motor mounted on said beam and adapted to be connected to a source of electrical energy, a shaft means extending from said first motor and driven by said motor, gear members mounted on said shaft means, rails extending across the tops of said skids and secured thereto, one of said rails being provided with a plurality of teeth thereon, a housing having means slidably engaging said rails, 21 second motor depending from said housing, a gear member driven by said second motor and meshing with the teeth on said rail, a casing positioned in said housing, a third motor positioned in said casing, a rotary yoke driven by said third motor, and cutting members mounted on said yoke.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

